Growing Pains
by Kaya Scott
Summary: As Elijah and Cami add to their family, they learn that it comes with ups and downs. Add a three-year-old with mixed feelings toward her new baby brother to the equation and you have all the ingredients for a rough and rocky road to acceptance.


**Small**  
Three-year-old Alyssa Mikaelson pursed her rosebud lips and narrowed her turquoise eyes as she studied her new baby brother from her daddy's arms. "Him is little," she stated solemnly, leaning forward and touching her index finger to his hand, her eyes widening when he uncurled his fist and she saw his tiny fingers, "Very little."

 **Carry**  
Cami had just started feeding Connor when Alyssa came into the room carrying two books and her favorite stuffed animal. Cami sighed regretfully and shook her head as she gave her daughter a small smile. "We can't read right now, honey. I'm feeding your brother, but I promise when he's finished we'll read as many books as you want."

 **Pitch**  
When Elijah suggested that Alyssa watch a movie while he made lunch she was quick to reject his idea with a grumpy "no" and a quivering pout. Before he could think of a solution, Alyssa, fussier than usual since she was still getting over an ear infection, quickly escalated from pouting to a full blown meltdown. Elijah could only watch as his daughter threw a first class tantrum complete with ear-piercing shrieks and dramatically throwing herself to the floor.

 **Devoted**  
Cami had known that adjusting to a new baby and all the changes that came with that wouldn't be a seamless process, but she hadn't anticipated it being so difficult either. She and Elijah had spent months preparing Alyssa for her new role as a big sister, teaching her how to be gentle with a baby, taking her with them to appointments, letting her feel the baby move, involving her as they decorated the nursery, even devoting extra time and effort to making sure Alyssa knew that she would still be just as loved as before. But now that Connor was actually here, Alyssa's feelings for her brother changed from day to day, sometimes from hour to hour, which only added to the challenges that came with parenting two children.

 **Feet**  
Alyssa's tongue poked through her lips as she used a paint brush to coat the bottom of Conner's feet with orange paint so that Daddy could put his footprints on a card they were making for Mommy. As she dragged her brush over the arch of her brother's foot, he grunted at the tickling sensation and Alyssa giggled even as she she gently patted his ankle with her free hand.

 **Fresh**  
"No!" Alyssa stomped her foot and glared mutinously at her mommy. "I no clean room. Like it messy." When Cami warned her daughter that she was dangerously close to losing her trip to the park, Alyssa still didn't back down. Instead, she chose to test her boundaries and Cami's patience. "I say no. I no clean. You clean."

 **Brush**  
"I know she's going through a rebellious phase, but she caught me completely off guard today," Cami said, closing her eyes and feeling some of the tension leave her body as Elijah brushed her hair. "She's never talked to me like that before and all I did was take away her trip to the park then send her to her room. I'm sure that went a long way in sending a message."

 **Ideas**  
"Maybe not this time, but you'll figure it out. We both will," Elijah said, continuing to brush his wife's hair. "You were on the right track today. By taking away something Alyssa was looking forward to you planted the idea that her behavior has consequences and she'll remember that."

 **Brother**  
It had taken seven months, but Alyssa was finally starting to truly warm up to her little brother. She no longer changed her opinion of him on a daily basis and it was clear she loved him. Now she looked for ways to help with Connor and one of her favorite things to do was to read to him.

 **Number**  
Elijah smiled as Alyssa climbed into his lap with another book and smoothed a hand over her golden blonde hair. He'd lost count of how many books he'd read this afternoon, but as long as it kept Alyssa and Connor, who was also settled contently in his lap, entertained, Elijah was happy to keep reading.


End file.
